Buttoenableacriticthemorefullytoexecutethisundertaking，hemustpreservehismindfreefromallprejudice，andallownothingtoenterintohisconsideration，buttheveryobjectwhichissubmittedtohisexamination。Wemayobserve，thateveryworkofart，inordertoproduceitsdueeffectonthemind，mustbesurveyedinacertainpointofview，andnotbefullyrelishedbypersons，whosesituation，realorimaginary，isnotconformabletothatwhichisrequiredbytheperformance。Anoratoraddresseshimselftoaparticularaudience，andmusthavearegardtotheirparticulargenius，interests，opinions，passions，andprejudices；otherwisehehopesinvaintogoverntheirresolutions，andinflametheiraffections。Shouldtheyevenhaveentertainedsomeprepossessionsagainsthim，howeverunreasonable，hemustnotoverlookthisdisadvantage；but，beforeheentersuponthesubject，mustendeavourtoconciliatetheiraffection，andacquiretheirgoodgraces。Acriticofadifferentageornotion，whoshouldperusethisdiscourse，musthaveallthesecircumstancesinhiseye，andmustplacehimselfinthesamesituationastheaudience，inordertoformatruejudgmentoftheoration。Inlikemanner，whenanyworkisaddressedtothepublic，thoughIshouldhaveafriendshiporenmitywiththeauthor，Imustdepartfromthissituation；andconsideringmyselfasamaningeneral，forget，ifpossible，myindividualbeingandmypeculiarcircumstances。Apersoninfluencedbyprejudice，compliesnotwiththiscondition；butobstinatelymaintainshisnaturalposition，withoutplacinghimselfinthatpointofview，whichtheperformancesupposes。Iftheworkbeaddressedtopersonsofadifferentageornation，hemakesnoallowancefortheirpeculiarviewsandprejudices；but，fullofthemannersofhisownageandcountry，rashlycondemnswhatseemedadmirableintheeyesofthoseforwhomalonethediscoursewascalculated。Iftheworkbeexecutedforthepublic，heneversufficientlyenlargeshiscomprehension，orforgetshisinterestasafriendorenemy，asarivalorcommentator。Bythismeans，hissentimentsareperverted；norhavethesamebeautiesandblemishesthesameinfluenceuponhim，asifhehadimposedaproperviolenceonhisimagination，andhadforgottenhimselfforamoment。Sofarhistasteevidentlydepartsfromthetruestandard；andofconsequencelosesallcreditandauthority。
Itiswellknown，thatinallquestions，submittedtotheunderstanding，prejudiceisdestructiveofsoundjudgment，andpervertsalloperationsoftheintellectualfaculties：Itisnolesscontrarytogoodtaste；norhasitlessinfluencetocorruptoursentimentofbeauty。Itbelongstogoodsensetocheckitsinfluenceinbothcases；andinthisrespect，aswellasinmanyothers，reason，ifnotanessentialpartoftaste，isatleastrequisitetotheoperationsofthislatterfaculty。Inallthenoblerproductionsofgenius，thereisamutualrelationandcorrespondenceofparts；norcaneitherthebeautiesorblemishesbeperceivedbyhim，whosethoughtisnotcapaciousenoughtocomprehendallthoseparts，andcomparethenwitheachother，inordertoperceivetheconsistenceanduniformityofthewhole。
Everyworkofarthasalsoacertainendorpurpose，forwhichitiscalculated；andistobedeemedmoreorlessperfect，asitismoreorlessfittedtoattainthisend。Theobjectofeloquenceistopersuade，ofhistorytoinstruct，ofpoetrytopleasebymeansofthepassionsandtheimagination。Theseendswemustcarryconstantlyinourview，whenweperuseanyperformance；andwemustbeabletojudgehowfarthemeansemployedareadaptedtotheirrespectivepurposes。Besides，everykindofcomposition，eventhemostpoetical，isnothingbutachainofpropositionsandreasonings；notalways，indeed，thejustestandmostexact，butstillplausibleandspecious，howeverdisguisedbythecolouringoftheimagination。Thepersonsintroducedintragedyandepicpoetry，mustberepresentedasreasoning，andthinking，andconcluding，andacting，suitablytotheircharacterandcircumstances；andwithoutjudgment，aswellastasteandinvention，apoetcanneverhopetosucceedinsodelicateanundertaking。Nottomention，thatthesameexcellenceoffacultieswhichcontributestotheimprovementofreason，thesameclearnessofconception，thesameexactnessofdistinction，thesamevivacityofapprehension，areessentialtotheoperationsoftruetaste，andareitsinfallibleconcomitants。Itseldom，orneverhappens，thatamanofsense，whohasexperienceinanyart，cannotjudgeofitsbeauty；anditisnolessraretomeetwithamanwhohasajusttastewithoutasoundunderstanding。
Thus，thoughtheprinciplesoftastebeuniversal，and，nearly，ifnotentirelythesameinallmen；yetfewarequalifiedtogivejudgmentonanyworkofart，orestablishtheirownsentimentasthestandardofbeauty。Theorgansofinternalsensationareseldomsoperfectastoallowthegeneralprinciplestheirfullplay，andproduceafeelingcorrespondenttothoseprinciples。Theyeitherlabourundersomedefect，orarevitiatedbysomedisorder；andbythatmeans，exciteasentiment，whichmaybepronouncederroneous。Whenthecritichasnodelicacy，hejudgeswithoutanydistinction，andisonlyaffectedbythegrosserandmorepalpablequalitiesoftheobject：Thefinertouchespassunnoticedanddisregarded。Whereheisnotaidedbypractice，hisverdictisattendedwithconfusionandhesitation。Wherenocomparisonhasbeenemployed，themostfrivolousbeauties，suchasrathermeritthenameofdefects。，aretheobjectofhisadmiration。Whereheliesundertheinfluenceofprejudice，allhisnaturalsentimentsareperverted。
Wheregoodsenseiswanting，heisnotqualifiedtodiscernthebeautiesofdesignandreasoning，whicharethehighestandmostexcellent。Undersomeorotheroftheseimperfections，thegeneralityofmenlabour；andhenceatruejudgeinthefinerartsisobserved，evenduringthemostpolishedages，tobesofareacharacter；Strongsense，unitedtodelicatesentiment，improvedbypractice，perfectedbycomparison，andclearedofallprejudice，canalongentitlecriticstothisvaluablecharacter；